Search for off-beat scholarships. Millions of dollars of potential scholarships go unused every year because people do not apply for them. They are out there, but you will have to find them. Colleges should be able to supply you with some information and contact details. The Internet will also help you in your research. Sites such as Scholarship Hunter (scholarshiphunter.com) and U.S. Scholarship Guide (usscholarshipsguide.org) are good places to start. Remember that most offbeat scholarships are not usually for large amounts of money. They can be a useful way of obtaining extra funds, but the majority of your college expenses will need to come from another source.
Get creative to secure a scholarship for your inventive designs and ideas. Among the most well-known offbeat scholarships is the $5,000 award to the couple who create the most interesting outfits entirely of duct tape at the annual Stuck-at-Prom competition sponsored by Duck Tape.
Measure yourself. It may sound silly, but scholarships are available for people shorter than 4-foot-10-inches (The Little People of America Association), tall people (Tall Clubs International) and overweight individuals (The New England Chapter of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance). Offbeat scholarships also exist for left-handed people (Juniata College) and twins (Shan Pynes Scholarship).
Learn a skill. Some offbeat scholarships are given to those who possess an offbeat skill. These range from golf caddying (Evans Scholars Foundation) and playing marbles (National Marbles Tournament) to duck calling (Stuttgart) and shooting (National Rifle Association's Youth Education Summit).
Each scholarship has different selection criteria. For some you will be entered into a drawing, while others are awarded to academically high-achieving students. You also may be asked to write an essay. In most cases, you will need to provide evidence of your acceptance of a place at college to receive the award. Check with the relevant organizations for specific selection requirements.